LET THE GAMES BEGIN; BOTH PARTIES HOLD CONVENTIONS

WATCH THIS SPACE: The Hanging Shad will keep you up to date on the happenings at the nominating conventions this weekend. Shad entries will occur as events warrant.
The rough and tumble world of politics is on display this weekend as Connecticut Democrats and Republicans each hold their respective nominating conventions. Candidates have been chasing delegate support for months now and given the fact there are many contested offices, the potential for back room deals and allegiance-switching is high.

We do know one thing—Susan Bysiewicz is not running for any office this year (as of now). In a statement released late yesterday, the sitting secretary of state said, “Although I won’t be running for office this year, I will be spending every single moment I can working hard for Democrats up and down the ballot this fall. Make no mistake about it, my commitment to the principles and ideals of the Democrat Party will never waver….”

Bysiewicz was knocked off the ballot for attorney general when the state Supreme Court ruled unanimously that she did not meet the requirement that the AG have 10 years of “active practice” of lawn. Former Democratic state Senate Majority Leader George Jepsen is now the favorite and has been in the race all along. Republican state Rep. Arthur O’Neil joins attorney Martha Dean in seeking the GOP endorsement.

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One of the hardest working candidates in this election cycle is state Sen. Jonathan Harris who is running for secretary of state. Harris has been crisscrossing the state building delegate support. He is known as an even-tempered consensus builder in the state Senate. As chairman of the legislature’s public health committee, Harris’ handling of the stalemate between the state and Catholic hospitals over emergency contraception a few years ago was a watershed moment for him. He impressed to the point of being mentioned for higher office from then on. Harris is a former Mayor of West Hartford.

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After expressing serious interest in it, former state Senate President Kevin Sullivan has decided to forgo a run for comptroller saying lack of time and his commitment to support gubernatorial candidate Dan Malloy were big factors. Comptroller Nancy Wyman and Sullivan discussed the future of the comptroller’s office months ago but Wyman said she intended to stay. So Sullivan committed all his efforts to Malloy and won’t break that commitment now. Wyman, of course, is now Malloy’s running mate and there is no shortage of those who want to succeed her.

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Robert’s Rules of Order gave way to the Marquess of Queensberry Rules in the Bridgeport City Council Monday when a former city employee ran out of time to speak at a council meeting. Cecil Young, a frequent attendee to the monthly council meetings, complained about raw sewage in the basements of the P.T. Barnum Apartments public housing complex, and health benefits he says the city owes him. City Council President Thomas McCarthy told Young he was out of time to speak but Young continued to “berate council members,” according to the Connecticut Post and NBC Connecticut. Young complained that City Councilor E. Evette Brantley was “making faces” at him as he spoke.

Video shows that Brantley walks up to Young and they get into an “in-your-face” spat and Councilman Angel M. dePara Jr. approaches and pushes Young away from Brantley, the Post reports. Then, other council members break up the skirmish and restrain Young as he is escorted out.

Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch was not happy with the incident which happened before he arrived at the meeting. “While, at times, passions can get the better of us, it’s important to remember that everyone – whether they are an elected official or a member of the public – should maintain a level of respect and civility when dealing with one another,” he said.